Rocky was a mascot of the AAA Battery of the 187th Airborne Combat Team in the Korean War. Members of the 187th bought the Asian black bear as a cub when they were stationed in Japan. She had 5 jumps to her credit and received a purple heart after being injured by shell fragments when the battery came under enemy artillery fire. She retired to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and is shown here being fed an apple by animal keeper, Ed Yankoe, on November 5, 1954.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
"Rocky" the parachuting bear.
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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2 comments:
Good memories. Rocky was in a small line of bear dens along with sloth bears and sun bears. Ed Yankoe was a friendly keeper in the Small Mammal House and Bear Line.
I've considered June 5, 1960 as the start of my zoo career as a volunteer keeper at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. About 3pm that Sunday afternoon keeper Marge Seymour introduced me to Marlin Perkins and he offered me a volunteer opportunity. He even personally typed out a copy of the letter my Dad had to sign releasing the Park District from liability. That night I went to the Ringling show with another keeper -- what a day almost 50 years ago.
Jim,
Like the day in 1983, when I drove through the semi through the gates at the Venice winterquaters, and had too wait while Gunther finished exercising the elephants, and Axel was doing feet off to the side, all under the "watchful" eye of Charley standing in the middle of the lot, it is a memory that can never be lost.
Wade
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